The invention relates generally to a ski binding.
More particularly, the invention relates to a safety binding which is associated with a braking mechanism for the ski.
A known ski binding has a support which is mounted on the ski for pivotal movement about an axis extending transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ski. The pivotal support carries retainers which receive the toe and heel of a ski boot and thereby secure the ski boot to the ski. The pivotal mounting of the support permits the ski boot to rest on the ski during a run and to be pivoted away from the ski when necessary.
Safety bindings of this type may be used for deep powder snow as well as hard packed snow. For powder snow, a strap is loosely connected with the ski to prevent the latter from escaping in the invent that the binding releases. However, the use of a strap has not been widely accepted for packed snow because the ski is liable to cause an accident in this case.
An alternative to a strap is a brake for the ski and it is already known to use such a brake in conjunction with a safety binding. A special device holds the brake in an inoperative position as long as the safety binding is not released. The brake becomes operative only when the safety binding is released unintentionally. If a skier disengages the boot from the ski, e.g. after a fall, so that the binding is not released unintentionally, the brake remains in its inoperative position. This is a considerable disadvantage since skiers often disengage the boot from the ski intentionally. Thus, the ski must here also be prevented from escaping so that it will not travel down the slope in an uncontrolled manner and cause an accident or be lost.